I really cannot believe how quickly so many people dive into bleaching their hair and then wonder why their hair is so broken after treating it so badly. I don’t think many people realise the significant amount of care and caution you need to sign up to when you commit to a drastic hair change. So, here I’m going to share some more words of wisdom for you from my personal experience on how to best look after dry, damaged, bleached and over processed hair, hair a bit like Jem’s here…

Using a suitable shampoo and conditioner

If you dye your hair you want to keep your colour looking as fresh and bright for as long as possible, so I’d always recommend opting for a sulphate free shampoo. That basically means a shampoo that doesn’t have a traditional foaming agent in, ingredients often referred to as SLSs. Sulphates generally strip hair colour quicker and dry hair out if used too much. Personally, I don’t see the need for sulphates in anything other than bubble bath, so why not try dropping it where you can and see if it makes a difference for you.

Conditioner wise, everyone has difference preferences. Personally, I prefer to use silicone free or low silicone conditioners as this prevents build up that can cause complications when you change your hair colour as often as mine. However, silicone ingredients are known for making hair looking smooth and shiny so in small doses can work wonders. Just watch out for using too many silicones combined with heat as this can cause havoc with hair over time, creating something called Silicone Damage which can cause hair to become brittle and difficult to make any chemical changes to.

If you’re looking for a good value shampoo and conditioner duo always love the salon sized duos you can get from brands like TIGI Bed Head (they aren’t silicone or sulphate free, but I love them when I’m on a budget and are milder than the cheap options on the high street) and I’m also desperate to try new vegan, sulphate and silicone free haircare range, Maria Nila which is available exclusively at Sally.

Another simple way to make things work better is to wash your hair less, that’ll stop you stripping the important natural oils and help maintain the quality and colour for longer. That means that you’ll be most likely wanting a dry shampoo at the ready for those greasier days and you really can’t go wrong with good old Batiste.

Leave in Conditioners

Over processed hair is generally pretty dry and needs some extra help, especially if you use harsh lightening products such as bleach on a regular basis. Because of this I would recommend using a leave in conditioner as well as a standard one. These can be sprays, oils or creams and there’s one for every preference and budget.

For a lovely silicone free leave in treatment try Klorane Papyrus No Rinse Day Cream which has a gorgeous lightweight texture and fresh green fragrance, it’s enriched with fatty acies which are especially great for smoothing out hair. You don’t need very much to make a difference too.

Natural brand, Naked, which I believe is on its last legs, have a great one called Little Miracle which you may still be able to pick up on reduction in Boots, it’s a great rich cream and I’ll be very sad if this brand dies as it’s one of the brands I used to represent in a previous digital marketing role and it’s close to my heart.

Treatments and Colour Maintenance

A regular conditioning treatment is also recommended for regularly processed hair, to help restore elasticity, moisture and ensure that hair stays at optimum condition for recolouring and maintaining your existing shade. I love using pure Coconut Oil as a leave in mask, whack it on and leave it as long as you can then wash out for an instant moisture boost that penetrates the entire hair shaft. For something more intense Philip Kingsley Elasticizer or similar protein based masks can help combat what I like to call Princess Bubblegum hair (when your hair goes sticky and stretchy from over processing) this beauty is a pre-shampoo treatment which I’ve mentioned before, it’s pricy but you can see results instantly. A good hair oil is always a sensible thing to have on hand too, you could use Coconut or Olive Oil to slick a drop on whenever ends are looking/feeling crispy. If you want something fancier there’s tons on the market, but again I prefer silicone free ones.

If you’re prone to changing hair colours on a regular basis you may benefit from doing a regular detox, especially prior to a new treatment to remove any build-up of products, dyes or silicones. You can read more about this here and within my hair category accessible via the sidebar and I’d recommend trying Scott Cornwall’s Precolour Treatment.

Got any of your own tips to share? Any questions? Comment or hit me up on social media @JayneKitsch.

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1 thought on “Looking After Dyed and Damaged Hair”

Brilliant advice! I can’t believe I haven’t checked if my shampoo is SLS free, I was just glad I’d found a cruelty free one for coloured hair I guess. I’ve found that washing my hair weekly (I naturally have coarse frizzy hair that’s dried out thanks to bleaching), using dry shampoo on my roots in between, oiling my hair pre-shampooing and using a really thick natural conditioner with a little hair oil on the ends when damp has totally transformed my hair. It’s now shiny and soft!